Medical education in psychiatry of intellectual disability and associated neurodevelopmental disorders

SUMMARY All doctors will encounter patients with intellectual disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders, but most medical subspecialty training does not explicitly cover the needs of this population. This can leave doctors feeling underskilled and lacking in confidence to assess and manage these patients. It can also increase the risk of diagnostic overshadowing, adversely affecting patients’ health outcomes. This article reviews the current state of medical education in the psychiatry of intellectual disability and associated neurodevelopmental disorders in the UK. It follows the medical training pathway from undergraduate through to postgraduate level, highlighting the expected learning outcomes. Key challenges and gaps in training at each level are discussed, along with potential solutions. Looking more widely, the article finishes with a short description of the paediatric neurodisability specialty training pathway, and a description of the UK’s contribution to international medical training in intellectual disability.